Automatic sculling oar lock



Augi4 1945- G. c. HosAcK AUTOMATIC SCULLING OAR LOCK Filed July 5, 1944 gru/vm @era/a 6. brame/if,

Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITEDg STATES PATENT oFFlcE- f AUTOMATIC SCULLING OAR LOCK Gerald C. Hosack, Pensacola, Fla.

Application July 5, 1944, Serial No. 543,561

'7 Claims.

tion, which necessitates a skillful arm and wrist f motion that can be acquired over a long period of practice.

Another object of the invention has to do with the provision of an automatic lock for a sculling oar of the kind specified, which, with the oar manipulated by an unskilled person and with a; substantially straight-arm motion only, functions effectively to. simulate accurately the motions irnparted to a sculling oar by the boatman or sportsman skilled in the art of stern sculling.

A further object of the invention is to provide an oar lock of this character, wherein the requisite motion is automatically imparted to the oar, with the use of one arm only of the operator and from a position that readily permits of a more or less constant observation in the directional of boat travel, thus leaving the other arm free for casting or flash fishing.

Yet another object of the invention lies in the' provision of an automatic sculling oar lock, and one having the advantages of being adapted for detachable mounting on the transom of practically all types of oar propelled boats; strong and durable in construction; comparatively inexpensive to manufacture; easy to install; quickly adjustable to proper working angles; and operating to positively and instantaneously change the feather or pitch of the oar, with no lost motion or dead stroke, at the end of each of the reversed directional movements of the oar.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the certain new and useful combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved scull oar lock, in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view; y

Figure -3 is a front end elevation ;l andv Figure 4 is a cross section, taken .through the. line 4 4 on Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like charac-` ters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, I0 designates the transoml .at the stern of a boat and I2 a more or less conventional form of sculling oar, while the embodiment of the invention, as it is exemplified therein, is generally comprised in a supporting 4bracket I4 to be seated over the edge of Ithe transom I0; a platform or table 22 hingedly mounted on the bracket I4, an oscillatory memberv 34 pivot-v ally mounted on the platform or :table 22;.a guide member 48 rigidly mounted on the pivot mounting for .the oscillatory member 34; meansl for adjusting the platform or table 22 relatively to the bracket I4 to vary the working angle of the oar I2; and an oscillatory brake member 6 0, mounted on the platform or table 22 for cooper-` ation with the oscillatory member 34 to check the reversed directional movements of the oar I2 coincident with the reversing of the angle of feather or pitch of the blade of oar I2 by the action of the guide member 48. 2

Specifically, the bracket I4 is preferably made from a blank stamped from a heavy gauge steel sheet or plate, which is shaped to provide a substantially rectangular body part having a pair of spaced, inwardly and downwardly angled, strap@ like parts bent from and to one side of its top edge to form inverted U-shaped elements I6, to be engaged over the edge of .the transom IIJ, after, the manner as shown in Figure 1, and an upwardly extending and inwardly angled straplike part 20, disposed centrally with respect to the elements I6. Each of the depending portions of the elements I6 carries a clamp screw I8 which, when tightened, rigidly secures thebracket I4 in place on the transom I0. y

The platform or table 22 is constituted in a strip of .the steel sheet or plate and is supported in overlying relation with respect Ito the horizontal portion of the angled part 2U by a hinge connection 24, one part of which is formed at the free end of the said horizontal part and the other is mounted transversely of the under side of the platform or table, at an intermediate point thereon. An arm 2B depends from the rearwardly directed end of the platform or table 22 and carries a pin 28, at its free end, for selective engagement with a series of. apertures 30, rformed in an arcuate member 32, that projects in an upwardly curving direction from the outerfsid'e of the bracket body I4; by which means, the platform or table 22 is angularly adjustable relatively to the angled part 20.

The oscillatory member 34 Itakes the form of a substantially triangular stamping of the steel sheet or plate and is supported in overlying relation with respect to the platform or table 22, with its narrower end projecting beyond the rearwardly directed end thereof, and is rigidly secured to an inverted, substantially V-shaped element 40, at a point adjacent its bight. `One leg 42 of this element 40 is seated in a tubular socket 46, that is secured in vertical position on the upper portion of the arm 26, and constitutes a pivot for the oscillatory member 34, while the other leg 44 extends rearwardly and downwardly at an acute angle for the mounting of the oar I2 thereon. v

The guide member 48 is in the form of an open frame, that is substantially heart-shape in elevation, and is secured at its apex transversely of the bight of the element 4U, in substantially right angular relation with respect to the leg 44. AV pin 50 projects forwardly from the center of the upper side, or base, of the guide member 48 and is engaged by an eye 52, carried on a sleeve 54 xedly mounted on the loom or shank of the oar I2, inwardly of the hand-grip I2'. A ring bearing 5B is mounted on the free end of the leg 44, of the angled element 40, and is engaged by a bearing sleeve 58, also fixedly mounted on the loom or shank of the oar I2, at a point thereon between the sleeve 54 and the blade I2".

The brake means is comprised in a metaldisc 60, which, together with an underlying disc 64, of hard fiber or other suitable friction producing,r material, is mounted for oscillatory motion on a pivot 66, that is secured in the forwardly directed end of the platform or table 22, beyond the like end of the oscillatory member 34. The metal disc Sis provided with a pair of spaced prongs or teeth 62, projecting radially from its edge for engagement with a pair of similarly spaced apertures 38, formed in an upstanding iiange 3B, rising from the wider, forwardly directed,` end'of the oscillatory member 34. rectional movements of the oscillatory member 34 are limited by the alternate engagement of one or the other of the apertures 38 with one of the corresponding teeth 52.

In operation, with the improved oarlock clamped on the edge of the transom I8 at the center thereor, the operator will take a sidewise stance, facing either left or right, and will then loosely grasp the hand-grip I 2 with his near hand and manipulate the oar I2 with a substantially straight-line, push and pull, motion of the arm, with the result that the blade I2 is moved in the water from side to side, i. e., thwartwise, somewhat in the manner as depicted in dotted lines in Figure 2. With the back and `forth movement ofthe oar I2, it swings or rocks on the pin 50 and, toward the end of its reversed strokes, moves into rolling contact with the oppositely curved sides of the guide 48, in a manner that the blade I2 is automatically feathered to a proper angle of pitch in conformitywith the conventional sculling stroke, as` illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 4. The side to sidernovement of the oar l2, in the guide 48, is accompanied. by a like movement of the oscillatory lmember 34'and the angular element 40, the legh,42 ofthe latter turning in the socket 46, and the extent of such movement is limited by the cooperative action of the apertures 38, in the flange 36 of the oscillatory member 34, with the teeth 82, of the brake Thus, the reversed didisc 68, as will be well understood by the average mechanic.

Without further description, it will be evident that in the use of this oarlock, a true sculling stroke is reproduced mechanically with but one hand without the usual twisting motion of the wrist and with considerably less effort and, also, that the oar I2 will take a neutral position within the guide member 48 when released from the grasp ofthe operator, in which position, it may trail without attention and without fear of loss. Also, it will be apparent that the working angle .of the oar I2 may be readily adjusted for its enicient operation by persons of differing stature, or for varying the depth of immersion of the blade as may be desirable for boat propulsion and control under different conditions of the water.

Having thus fully described my invention, it is to be understood that various changes in the design of the disclosed embodiment, and in the structural details of its parts, may be resorted to, provided such changes fall within its spirit and its scope as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic lock for a sculling oar, comprising a bracket, clamp means for removably securing said bracket centrally of the transom of a boat, a member mounted for horizontal oscillatory movement, means connecting said member and said bracket, a bearing rigidly mounted on said member and engaged by the oar, said member and the bearing being actuated by thwartwise sculling motions imparted to the oar, a guide mounted on said bearing and movable with said oscillatory member, and means interconnecting said oar with said guide member to cause turning movements of the oar to reverse the pitch of its blade, when the limit of each di rectional movement of the oscillatory member is reached.

` 2. The invention as in claim 1, with a means for limiting the reverseddirectional movements of said member and the oar.

3. The invention as in claim l, with means for adjusting said member relatively to Said bracket to vary the working angle of the oar.

4. An automatic lock for a sculling oar com; prising a bracket adapted to be engaged over the edge of the transom of a boat, clamp means carried by said bracket for securing it in place,

a platform pivotally mounted on said bracket,

cooperative means on said bracket and the platform for adjusting the latter angularly with respect to the bracket, a member mounted for horizontal oscillatory movement relatively to said platform and engaged by the oar, a bearing rigidly mounted on said oscillatory member, said oscillatory member and the bearing being actuated by thwartwise sculling motions imparted to the oar, a guide mounted on said bearing and movable' therewith, and means interconnecting said oar with said guide to cause turning movements of the oar to reverse the pitch of the blade thereof when the limit of each directional movement of said oscillatory member and the bearing is reached.

5. The oar lock as in claim 4, with an angled part of said bracket extending above and overlying the transom edge for the pivoting of vsaid platform thereon.

6. The oar lock as in claim 4, With a brake means mounted on said platform and co0perat. ing with said member to limit the directional .l oscillatory movements of the same and the oar.

7. An automatic lock for a sculling oar, comgled part, a member mounted for horizontal oscillatory motion on said platform, an angled element rigidly connected with said oscillatory member and having one leg thereof downwardly inclined beyond the outer side of the transom, a ring bearing on said inclined leg and engaged by said oar, a guide member mounted on said inclined leg inwardly from said ring bearing and also engaged by the oar, and means interconnecting said oar with said guide member to cause turning movements of the oar to reverse the Y pitch of the blade thereof when the limit of each directional movement of said oscillatory member 10 is reached.

GERALD C. HOSACK. 

